The present invention relates to a fixturing apparatus and, in particular, to a modular fixturing apparatus used to support an object undergoing manufacturing, inspection, or testing processes or the like. The invention is particularly suitable for supporting or holding a component undergoing quality control inspection by a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) and may also be used to support or hold objects undergoing light to moderate manufacturing processing, such as assembling, soldering, laser-jet and water-jet cutting, welding, light-machining, and the like.
A typical modular fixturing apparatus includes a base plate and a series of components which can be mounted to the base plate. The base plate includes a plurality of mounting openings which permit the components to be secured to the base plate in a variety of different locations. These components include, for example, risers, spacers, clamps, including vacuum-based clamps, springs, fasteners, magnets, and the like which may be arranged on and secured to the base plate and interconnected in a variety of ways in order to allow a particular object to be supported and, in some cases, secured to the base plate. Furthermore, in modular fixturing apparatus, these components can be disassembled and reassembled so that the components can be reused in different configurations on the same or another base plate to create different fixture configurations to accommodate a variety of parts, ranging from, for example, a computer part to an airplane part. Once a configuration of the components is assembled for a given part, typically the locations of the components on the base plate and configurations of the components are recorded so that future set ups for that particular part can be quickly assembled.
The configurations of these components, however, are limited by the locations of the mounting openings in base plates. Typical fixturing base plates have fixed mounting openings that are arranged in a rectangular matrix pattern or in a radial pattern. The rectangular pattern includes a plurality of mounting holes arranged in rows and columns. On the other hand, the radial pattern has radiating lines or "spokes" of mounting openings. The rectangular pattern is generally more suitable for use with rectangular objects, whereas the radial pattern of mounting openings is more suitable for use with round or radiating objects and irregular shaped objects, such as a bearing, propeller, turbine, chair bases, blade assemblies, wheels, etc. However, many radiating objects, such as chair base legs, need to be tooled on both sides of the legs. With conventional radiating mounting hole patterns, however, it is difficult to tool between the "spokes" of the radiating pattern. In addition, many objects or parts have compound or complex configurations which could not easily be accommodated by either pattern. As a result, fixturing set ups for these types of objects, on both the rectangular and radial mounting opening patterns, necessitate complex mounting component configurations. With more complex component configurations, the fixturing process becomes more difficult and time consuming, adding to the cost of the fixturing set up.
Consequently, there is a need for a modular fixturing system which is capable of providing exceptional flexibility in the design of object support fixtures. Such system should be capable of supporting or securing objects, even large objects, which have regular, radiating, compound, or complex configurations that is most advantageous to the process for which the object is undergoing.